Canon EOS 30D - Hands-on Review

The EOS 30D is Canon's upgrade of the very popular EOS 20D. Though both cameras share
the same sensor (1.6x APS-C format, 8.2 MP) the EOS 30D adds a number of new features
making the EOS 30D an even more capable camera then it's predecessor. Notable are the
addition of a 2.5" LCD screen, spot metering, RGB histograms and an increased buffer
size.

Here are the main highlights of the new Canon EOS 30D: designates a new feature on the EOS 30D

APS-C format (1.6x multiplier, 22.5 x 15mm)

8.2MP (same as EOS 20D)

2.5", 230,000 pixel LCD display

Selectable 3 or 5 frames/sec continuous shooting

Buffer for 30 JPEGs or 11 RAW images

Flash Sync at 1/250s

Shutter lag time 65ms

Camera "wake up" time 0.15s

3.5% spot meter

Luminance and RGB Histograms

ISO settings in 1/3 stops from 100-1600 and visible in viewfinder
when changing

ISO 3200 selectable via CF

Picture Style modes like the EOS 5D

Option to disable image sharpening in JPEG mode

Tweaked AF algorithms, but does not have the extra 6
"invisible" AF zones of the EOS 5D

WiFi connectivity when coupled with the Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E1A

Direct Print button

9999 images per folder (vs. 100 on the 20D)

Compatible with BG-E2 vertical grip (also used on EOS 20D)

Street price $1399.99

Physically the EOS 30D is esentially a twin of the EOS 20D, the only obvious exterior
difference being a larger LCD and a dedicated "print" button.

I'm not going to describe every single nut and bolt, menu item and operating mode of
the EOS 30D. You can find those on other websites or you can download
the EOS 30D manual and study it in detail yourself. Instead I'm going to concentrate
mainly on what I think are the important features and what I think are the main
operational differences (or similarities) between the EOS 30D and EOS 20D.

Rear LCD Display

The LCD has been increased to 2.5", which is the same size as the LCD on the EOS
5D. I found the larger LCD much more useful than I'd really anticipated it would be. It
was easier to read text on (my eyes aren't as good as they once were!), plus it was easier
to review images since finer detail could be seen. The LCD is also readable over a
vertical and horizontal angle of about 170 degrees, a significantly wider viewing angle
than the LCD on the EOS 20D.

Timing

Canon have reduced the startup time by 50ms from 0.2 seconds on the EOS 20D to 0.15
seconds on the EOS 30D. It pretty hard to tell the difference though. Both cameras are
essentially "instant on" as far as a user is concerned. All other display times
are as fast as or faster than those of the EOS 20D. The EOS 30D is a very responsive
camera and in normal shooting operation you don't need to wait for functions to be executed. Even when viewing menu items, the camera instantly returns to shooting mode when the shutter release is depressed. Basically shooting has priority over all other functions (such as reviewing images) and there's no perceptible lag in returning to the shooting mode.